The Road to Certification

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

So I have been so busy I have not had the time to post. Here I am again though.

So my computer took a crap, MOBO or Power supply went out, I was to lazy to figure it out. So I had another mobo and power supply and basically just swapped em out, I did not reinstall any of my OS's. Now before the beast crapped out I had different OS's on there:

VistaUbuntuKubuntuXbuntu

SO, swapped board and PS, and then decided not to install the OS's again.. I was lazy, I also wanted to see if the computer would explode.

So starting off:

Vista: Blue screen right off the bat, no passing go no collecting 200 dollars BSODUbuntu, started up with no problems, started up and started working, it did not even flinchKubuntu, same thing no problems.

Xubuntu, well that one froze, it wont go past the loading screen, but not a bad run I think. I do love linux.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Fooling around with my G1 been using a different distro on it. The dude edition: Cupcake.

Not bad, same interface just a different skin really, it comes with a terminal window, I still downloaded better terminal.

Now for those out there studying and going out of there way to learn Linux, if you have the G1 a great app I use is PinguinCommand it is basically a flashcard app that lets me select a command and it tells me what it does. Now, it also has commands (in another tab) for the G1 so you can have better access and know what it does. For anyone transferring from windows, it has a tab for that, it shows you the Linux command and gives you the command it would have been for windows. Now that is awesome in my opinion. It helps you understand things better coming from Dos/windows environment.

I have also downloaded some soundboards, and a Lightsabre app ;P the nerd in me is strong.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Well, my last post was telling about my late posts, I looked at the date today and realized its been over a week since I posted, shame on me.

So I have been studying and playing with my G1, my buddy flashed the phone and put a different distro on the phone, The dude edition with the Cupcake update. Its awsome, new look better access to the phone.

I have been posting my road to certification on the Linux OS and lo and behold guess what, G1 is awesome :P Linux all around, now this is not news to me, I just want to gloat about it being a Linux driven phone.

Now of course I want to keep the marketplace free, its open source people. OK /endrant

So I know I have been going for my Linux Certified professional cert, but I think I am going to try a few different distro's soon. I have messed with Kubuntu/Ubuntu and that is the extent so far, Now I have seen some of the distro's in action already, I just need to try them for myself.

I have been reading more and more and one of the websites that will help me, so that I do not have to search around for all of the distros is Linuxhelp.net(I am lazy, I want the easy way here) So yah I will dedicate a day to download the different distro's for two reasons:

1. So that I can check them out at my leisure.

2. So that If I find someone that is remotely interested in Linux, I may convert them and hand them the disk, give them some simple instructions, or Just fire up my Starling and do a live presentation for them.

I have ambitions, I know this certification is meant to be hard, I am looking forward to it!!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

***SPOILER*** This will really have nothing to do with Linux just a blog about my weekend and why I did not really get to study Linux ***/SPOILER***

My weekend is usually Thursday-Friday

So Thursday I went up and saw my favorite Tattoo shop Artistic Tattoo. I love that place, Hollis Cantrell broke the world record for most tattoo's in 24 hours. I talk the most to Hollis, Mule, B-Bird and Ted (for the longest kept calling him Tim( I felt bad about it though)). I do not usually get to see Weeze and Levi a lot so I don't get to talk to them as much as the other guys up there.

So I spent a few hours up there talking to Hollis and fixing there computer up there and just getting things set in motion for my next Tattoo's.

If you want a bad ass tattoo and are in the Phoenix area please visit them, they are awesome, by far the best (and cleanest) tattoo shop I have been in.

So that was the beginning of my day, the rest was getting ready to go spend a night at the Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa. I basically was comped three free nights and I am using two of them and my sister will use one.

So after a night of fun and gambling my wife and I returned home Friday morning to relaxation and watching movies. I finally watched Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix. Not a bad movie at all.

So now I am back to work and starting to study it is a very slow day and I should be able to finish the chapter I am on. yayyyyyy.

Also if your a Linux/Unix User and want to follow me on twitter please feel free, I try to post on there and I don't mind the networking!! @Locello

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Linux Security.... What can it not do. Now I have been a Windows user since I started using computers, Back in DOS days. And I know there is so much to learn about windows but I still after being with Linux for less than a year... Linux in my opinion is so much better, again, I stated my opinion not a hard fact.

Now if you want to use Windows by all means please do, I still have a few systems with Windows, I like Windows, I just recognize a better product. Just know there are choices out there besides Windows and Macintosh.

Back to my original post, Security in Linux. The possibilities are only limited by what the OS actually has, you can customize EVERYTHING.

Some nifty security features:

Shadow Password FileLog FilesSecure Shell Tools (ssh)

These are some basic information but there are books just for securing Linux out there at your disposal.

Shadow Password File:Older versions of Unix/Linux did not use shadow password files, they used one file that held all the user information and passwords. Back then this was not a problem they used a "trapdoor algorithm" and it was pretty secure. Now days anyone can pull up the right software and crack passwords. Its mainly done with programs, so a shadow password file is the next step in security from the original set up.

Now we still have the passwd file, it is found in the /etc directory. The shadow file is also in the /etc as shadow

If you are missing the shadow file, your system is using the /etc/passwd file and you want to change that for security reasons, your call but you really want to keep your system as secure as possible these days.

Log Files:You can have everything your Linux OS doing report to log files. Your systems log files are located in the /var/log directory.

You can also use your distributions system log viewer(if it has one) if you wanna view this way or there are many viewers out there like "vi"

If your running a network or servers you can also output your log files to another machine. This is useful to see people or systems trying to break into your network, the only downside is any reports from that system after the break in are not to be trusted until you take action to clean up that system.

Secure Shell Tools:This tool(or set of tools really) let you do remote login, remote copy, remote just about anything, to other computers on the network.

This lets a network administrator do what he needs on other terminals and check other features of the network like log into the terminal with the log files and check on how the network is doing as a whole.

Now true security comes down to you. Yes you, looking at the screen, how secure are you really. Do you leave your systems unlocked, do you even have your systems password protected??

Security is not limited to software, its physical as well, do you leave your computer unlocked, do you leave your portable computer out in the open unattended?

Be safe when it comes to your security so that you can keep your internal network as safe as possible

- If rm -rf doesnt cut it, remember you can re-partition a HDD with a chainsaw!!

Monday, June 8, 2009

So, I just finished CH. 5 of the Linux Bible. Now I have to say for beginners this would be some awesome info to give someone, I read it because I am reading from front to back, the only thing new I learned in this chapter was some of the commands. But alas, I do not think i will remember them all just I will be aware of them at this point.

I posted on my twitter earlier that I do not think I will meet the two months bet I made with Brian that if I got certified in Linux certified professional He would buy me a Bonobo from System 76. I do hope that I make it but I have a lot left to learn for that kind of certification, sadly I do not know enough.

I truly understand the phrase "The more I learn, the more I do not know"

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Now i did post a link but the great thing about this command(to me anyways) is the fact that it updates within the terminal you are using.

I was playing around with it and you can update it faster by using the "space bar". I hit it on accident, yes i admit it, and saw that it updated. and I saw that the CPU usage went up. Well this just sparked my curiosity, I held it down, and I watched as the CPU usage went up and up and down, I did this till i actually hit 100%, this was just to see what would happen, now after I hit the 100% mark I stopped waited a second and hit space again, down to 1% again.

Now if you want to quite out it is the same as in the man pages "q" and this brings you back to your prompt.

Its just a nifty text based system performance monitor, I like it.

- What do you mean I have to plug in the power, it says its wireless!!!